Roasted Peppers Recipes

Since we arrived in Paris, my husband Lulu and I have taken the opportunity to have romantic getaways in Europe and leave baby Aria with my parents. My parents are thrilled to get to have time alone with their granddaughter, and thankfully, so is Aria. As the crazy mom that I am, I've left a long list of instructions for my mom to ensure the happy well-being of my baby girl, and that includes what she eats. Ever since Aria started eating solid food, I've managed to feed her only homemade baby food. I use the term baby food loosely, since I only feed Aria food that I would also eat.

I've taught Maman one of Aria's favorite soups: roasted bell pepper soup. It's a healthy blend of lentils, brown rice and roasted bell peppers. When Lulu and I came home, there was still some soup left, so we all ate it as a first course. I garnished it with sweet basil and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. It's fantastic!

For most, the name of this dish evokes dreams of animated rodents scurrying around a Parisian restaurant kitchen. In reality though, ratatouille is a French stewed vegetable dish from the seaside city of Nice. I make my version with zucchini (courgette in French), eggplant (aubergine), olives, capers, bell peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes. With the exception of the tomatoes, everything is fresh. I prefer canned tomatoes in this dish because they tend to be sweeter (especially during the winter season).

Given the abundance of fresh vegetables, this dish would be perfect for the summer. In fact, I make it often when the vegetables in my garden ripen. I also like it in the winter though, because it's excellent comfort food. The flavor of the veggies marries wonderfully with the herbs and spices. My family always ends up fighting over the "broth" at the bottom of the bowl.

Ratatouille can be eaten with just about anything. Crusty bread and rice are common options, but my personal favorite delivery device is a savory crêpe. However it makes it to your mouth though, you'll be happy it did!

I'm getting ready for our anniversary trip, so I haven't had a lot of time to cook. My aunt from Vietnam just came for a visit. She happens to be a vegetarian as well. I met her seven years ago when she came to visit my family in Paris. I remembered that she loves edamame, or baby soybeans boiled in salt water.

I decided to make a nice salad for her that incorporated edamame. I added roasted red bell pepper, perlini mozzarella and celery, along with Beluga lentils for color. I made a dressing with garlic, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard and walnut oil.

The salad has a really nice contrast of flavors, colors and textures. If you've never tried edamame before, this is a great way to get acquainted with this tasty ingredient.

I had 5 tortillas left-over from the burritos we made over the weekend that were going stale, so I decided to make a large pot of tortilla soup. I use the tortillas as a thickening agent in the soup, and also as a garnish on top of the dish. To the tortillas I added tomatoes and tomato paste for a little tartness, jalapeños for a little heat, and some kidney beans and soy chorizo for protein.

The spices give the soup an earthy flavor and the Cotija cheese and sour cream that I top each serving with are very soothing for the taste-buds.

Tortilla soup is a really hearty dish that's the perfect cure for the dreary weather we've been having here as of late.

Orzo is a rice shaped pasta that is very convenient for making salads. Just dice all the vegetables the same size as the orzo grains, add a vinaigrette, and you're all set. If you need meat in your meal, diced smoked turkey is a healthy and tasty option.

The reason I made this is that Lulu's family organized a fun picnic for Memorial weekend in Big Basin. It was a pot luck, and I volunteered to make the veggie dish. The orzo pasta salad is easy to make and easy to transport, which are both important considerations when you're planning a picnic. Just drizzle the vinaigrette when you're ready to eat. Make it for your next family picnic or barbecue; it's guaranteed to be a hit!